PRESS DIGEST- British Business - Nov 6

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Nov 6 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories on the business pages of British newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

The Times

* Britain's premier business body has complained that the government's industrial strategy has been too long coming and that ministers have been unclear on what they are trying to achieve.bit.ly/2An1tYO

* A huge surge in trade with the Channel Islands and offshore tax havens has prompted calls for the government to explain the source of the growth amid concerns that it is masking the importance of trade with the European Union. bit.ly/2AkjGGa

The Guardian

* The new Marks and Spencer chairman Archie Norman has told senior managers that the retailer needs to cut clothing prices and that too much of its fashion is aimed at the over-55s.bit.ly/2Am7uEU

* Britain's biggest rail franchise, which includes the strike-hit Southern service, is likely to be broken up when it expires in 2021, the government has said. bit.ly/2AmmT84

The Telegraph

* Plans for a blockbuster float of Saudi Arabia's national oil explorer, Saudi Arabian Oil company IPO-ARMO.SE, could be thrown into further doubt after one of the company's board members was arrested as part of a corruption crackdown in the Gulf state. bit.ly/2AngdH6

* The Church of England's investment arm has called for the mining industry to review tailing dams and the governance of joint ventures in the wake of the Samarco mine disaster.bit.ly/2AkC7dL

Sky News

* Officials from Bank of England contacted other accountancy firms in recent days to signal a contest that will threaten KPMG's hold on a position it has held since just before the run on Northern Rock in 2007, according to Sky News. bit.ly/2AmfeH1

The Independent

* Saudi Arabia has arrested 11 princes, four officials and tens of former officials as part of a sweeping anti-corruption probe which further cements control in the hands of its young Crown Prince, Mohammad bin Salman. ind.pn/2Amnzu8 (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Peter Cooney)